Cardinals announce roster changes, purchase Butler, option Grichuk

PITTSBURGH, PA - The St. Louis Cardinals announced a pair of roster moves today in advance of their weekend series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Right-handed hitting outfielder Joey Butler has been purchased from Memphis (AAA) and will be in uniform for tonight's game at PNC Park. The team also announced that rookie outfielder Randal Grichuk was optioned to Memphis yesterday.

Butler, 28, was batting .360 (31-for-86) for the Redbirds, ranking 5th in the Pacific Coast League in batting and 2nd in on-base pct. (.481). Used as both a left fielder and designated hitter this season, Butler had four home runs and 20 RBI while batting .458 (11-for-24) with runners in scoring position. 

Claimed by the Cardinals off waivers last October, Butler was a Pacific Coast League All-Star in 2012 for Round Rock (Texas Rangers organization) while batting .290 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI. He followed that up with a solid .291 batting mark and a team-high .395 on-base pct. in 2013, earning a pair of promotions to the majors where he appeared in a combined eight games (.333 BA; 4-for-12) for Texas.

The 6-2, 220-pound Butler is a native of Pascagoula, Miss. He was a 15th round draft selection (453rd player overall) by the Rangers in 2008 out of the University of New Orleans and owns a .304 (435-for-1,431) career batting mark at the triple-A level in his 400 games played.

Butler will wear uniform no. 56.